God’s Temple

[reprinted with permission from Daily Devotions of Ordinary People-Extraordinary God – Jody Neufeld Energion Publications, 2004.]

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies.    Psalm 84:1 (NLT)

When I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, the Redeemer of my life, He came to dwell in me. His Holy Spirit became a part of me. I suspect the writer of Psalm 84 was not talking about me or even himself when he exclaimed that God’s home was “LOVELY”. However, Scripture tells us that God lives within us. Hmm…I wonder what the ‘dwelling’ looks like?

What is in the ‘Living Room’ of my life? Do I live like God is a part of my day-to-day life? The TV I watch, the movies I see, the jokes I laugh at, and do I walk that life with my children and spouse?

How about the ‘Kitchen’? Do I “cook up” good stuff in my spirit, my soul? Do I mix pleasing portions of personal Bible study, private and corporate worship and private and corporate prayer?

Finally brothers,

whatever is true,

whatever is honorable,

whatever is just,

whatever is pure,

whatever is lovely,

whatever is commendable—

if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things.

Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.               Philippians 4:8-9 (HCSB

What happens in my bedroom, including the closet? What is my relationship with God? I can be totally honest here because this is the place where NOBODY sees – except Him.

Then Job replied to the Lord:

“I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.
You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’
It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me.
You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’
I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”              Job 42:1-6 (NLT)

Not to be indelicate, but what about the bathroom? Have my past sins that I have repented and are covered by Jesus’ Blood from the cross truly been flushed away? Or do I continue to revisit them and the stench affects every part of my ‘dwelling’?

I am the one who cut a path through the mighty ocean.

I sent an army to chase you with chariots and horses; now they lie dead, unable to move.

They are like an oil lamp with the flame snuffed out.

The LORD said:

Forget what happened long ago! Don’t think about the past.

I am creating something new.

There it is! Do you see it?

I have put roads in deserts, streams in thirsty lands.            Isaiah 43:16-19 (CEV)

And finally, there is my front porch and yard. Is it beautiful and fragrant with good fruit and flowers? Or does it look deserted like no one lives there any more? Whether prophet or not, I will be known by my fruit.

[Jesus said,] “You’ll recognize them by their fruit.…”            Matthew 7:16 (HCSB)

I look around my physical dwelling and place and I consider how much time and effort I spend in keeping that ‘up’ and cleaned and repaired. How does that balance with the time and effort I put into my spiritual dwelling that GOD lives in?!!?